Information processing apparatus and non-transitory computer readable medium

ABSTRACT

An information processing apparatus includes a first designation unit, a second designation unit, a position acquisition unit, a memory, and an extraction unit. The first designation unit designates an extensive area from a first read image, the extensive area including an output area and an object area. The second designation unit designates the output area from the designated extensive area. The position acquisition unit acquires positional information regarding the extensive area with respect to the first read image and positional information regarding the output area with respect to the extensive area. The memory stores the positional information regarding the extensive area and the positional information regarding the output area. The extraction unit identifies a position of the extensive area in a second read image in a format identical to a format of the first read image on a basis of the positional information regarding the extensive area stored by the memory. The extraction unit also extracts the output area in the second read image on a basis of the position of the extensive area and the positional information regarding the output area stored by the memory.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is based on and claims priority under 35 USC 119 fromJapanese Patent Application No. 2018-079719 filed Apr. 18, 2018.

BACKGROUND (i) Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to an information processing apparatusand a non-transitory computer readable medium.

(ii) Related Art

In recent years, an information processing apparatus that extracts atarget from a reading target such as a document and outputs the targethas been proposed (see, for example, Japanese Unexamined PatentApplication Publication No. 2008-40598).

The information processing apparatus described in Japanese UnexaminedPatent Application Publication No. 2008-40598 includes a scanning unit,a form registration unit, a zone optical character recognition (OCR)unit, an index correction unit, an index unit that provides dataacquired by the index correction unit as an index of a document, and astorage unit that stores an image and index data as a document in adocument management system.

SUMMARY

Aspects of non-limiting embodiments of the present disclosure relate toan information processing apparatus and a non-transitory computerreadable medium.

For example, when multiple documents are read, and when a positionalerror occurs in any one of the documents, it is not possible to extracta predesignated area from a read image in some cases. Accordingly, it isan object of the present disclosure to provide an information processingapparatus and a non-transitory computer readable medium storing aprogram that enable an output target to be extracted when multipledocuments are read, the extraction being performed without usingpositional information indicating the position of the output target in aread image.

Aspects of certain non-limiting embodiments of the present disclosureaddress the above advantages and/or other advantages not describedabove. However, aspects of the non-limiting embodiments are not requiredto address the advantages described above, and aspects of thenon-limiting embodiments of the present disclosure may not addressadvantages described above.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided aninformation processing apparatus including a first designation unit, asecond designation unit, a position acquisition unit, a memory, and anextraction unit. The first designation unit designates an extensive areafrom a first read image, the extensive area including an output area andan object area. The second designation unit designates the output areafrom the designated extensive area. The position acquisition unitacquires positional information regarding the extensive area withrespect to the first read image and positional information regarding theoutput area with respect to the extensive area. The memory stores thepositional information regarding the extensive area and the positionalinformation regarding the output area. The extraction unit identifies aposition of the extensive area in a second read image in a formatidentical to a format of the first read image on a basis of thepositional information regarding the extensive area stored by thememory. The extraction unit also extracts the output area in the secondread image on a basis of the position of the extensive area and thepositional information regarding the output area stored by the memory.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

An exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure will be described indetail based on the following figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example control system of aninformation processing apparatus according to the exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a table illustrating an example of zone designation data;

FIG. 3 is a view illustrating an example of a zone;

FIG. 4 is a view illustrating an example of a setting screen for settingzone designation information;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of operations of a processfor setting the zone designation information for the informationprocessing apparatus according to this exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of operations of a processfor extracting an output target for the information processing apparatusaccording to this exemplary embodiment; and

FIG. 7 is a view illustrating an example of extending an extensive area.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Hereinafter, an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure will be describedwith reference to the drawings. Note that components having the samefunctions are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout thedrawings, and description thereof is omitted.

SUMMARY OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT

An information processing apparatus according to this exemplaryembodiment includes a first designation unit, a second designation unit,a position acquisition unit, a memory, and an extraction unit. The firstdesignation unit designates an extensive area from a first read image,the extensive area including an output area and an object area. Thesecond designation unit designates the output area from the designatedextensive area. The position acquisition unit acquires positionalinformation regarding the extensive area with respect to the first readimage and positional information regarding the output area with respectto the extensive area. The memory stores the positional informationregarding the extensive area and the positional information regardingthe output area. The extraction unit identifies a position of theextensive area in a second read image in a format identical to a formatof the first read image on a basis of the positional informationregarding the extensive area stored by the memory. The extraction unitalso extracts the output area in the second read image on a basis of theposition of the extensive area and the positional information regardingthe output area stored by the memory.

A reading target is not particularly limited and applies to, forexample, a document such as a slip, any of various bills, or a receipt.The term “extensive area” is a rectangular area including a rectangularoutput area including an output target to be output and a rectangularobject area including an object other than the output target.

Exemplary Embodiment Configuration of Information Processing Apparatus

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example control system of aninformation processing apparatus according to the exemplary embodimentof the disclosure. An information processing apparatus 1 includes, forexample, an image forming apparatus, a personal computer, and amultifunctional mobile phone (a smartphone). Hereinafter, theinformation processing apparatus 1 will be described by taking an imageforming apparatus as an example. The image forming apparatus includes,for example, a scanner and a multi-function printer. The informationprocessing apparatus 1 includes a controller 2 that controls components,a memory 3 that stores various pieces of data, an operation display 4that inputs and displays information, and an image reading unit 5 thatoptically reads a reading target and forms a read image.

The controller 2 includes a central processing unit (CPU), an interface,and the like. The CPU operates in accordance with a program stored in aprogram storage 30 of the memory 3 and thereby functions as a receivingunit 20, a zone setting unit 21, an OCR unit 22, an extraction unit 23,or the like. The zone setting unit 21 is an example of a firstdesignation unit, a second designation unit, and a positionalinformation acquisition unit. Details of the receiving unit 20, the zonesetting unit 21, the OCR unit 22, and the extraction unit 23 will bedescribed later.

The memory 3 includes the program storage 30, a zone-designation-datastorage 31, and an OCR-result storage 32. The program storage 30 iscomposed of a read only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), ahard disk, or the like and stores programs. The zone-designation-datastorage 31 stores zone designation data 310 (see FIG. 2). The OCR-resultstorage 32 stores an OCR result. The memory 3 is an example of a memory.

The operation display 4 is, for example, a touch panel display and has aconfiguration in which a touch panel is disposed on a display such as aliquid crystal display by using polymerization.

The image reading unit 5 includes an auto document feeder (ADF or DADF)and a scanner, the auto document feeder being provided on a platenglass. The image reading unit 5 optically reads a reading target placedon the platen glass or a reading target fed by the auto document feederand forms a read image.

Structure of Zone Designation Data 310

FIG. 2 is a table illustrating an example of the zone designation data310. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the zone designation data 310 is data inwhich zone designation information 311 is associated with a document ID.The zone designation information 311 includes area specifyinginformation 311 a and positional information. The area specifyinginformation 311 a indicates the position and the size of a rectangulararea (hereinafter, also referred to as an extensive area) including anoutput area including a target to be output (hereinafter, also referredto as an output target) and an object area including an object otherthan the output target. The positional information indicates theposition of the output target in the extensive area.

The term “object” denotes a component of an image, the componentincluding information regarding a character, character string, a symbol,a figure, a table (including a title), and combination of these. Thepositional information regarding the output target in the extensive areaincludes information 311 b (hereinafter, also referred to as specifiedline information 311 b) indicating, for example, the line correspondingto the location of the output target in the extensive area (hereinafter,also referred to as a specified line). The specified line information311 b is an example of positional information. The positionalinformation is an example of attribute information of the output target.The document ID is information indicating a document that is a readingtarget.

The area specifying information 311 a includes, for example, coordinatevalues (x, y) of one of four vertexes of the extensive area, that is,information indicating a position x of the vertex from a first end (forexample, the left end) of a read image, information indicating aposition y from a second end (for example, the upper end) adjacent tothe first end, information indicating a width w of a zone, andinformation indicating a height h of the zone. Note that for thepositions x and y, the width w, and the height h, actual distances (forexample, a unit of mm) or pixel values of the read image may be used.

The specified line information 311 b may be set by using, for example, aformat for specifying one line (such as n-th line) or multiple lines(such as m-th line to n-th line).

Zone

A zone will be described. FIG. 3 is a view illustrating an example ofthe zone. The zone is set on the basis of an extensive area 60 includingan output target and the position of the output target in the extensivearea 60. Hereinafter, a zone set in an invoice image 6 resulting fromreading an invoice that is an example of a reading target will bedescribed taken as an example. Note that the invoice image 6 is a sampleimage for designating an extensive area (an output area and an objectarea). That is, the invoice image 6 is an example of a first read image.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the extensive area 60 is a rectangular areaincluding a specific target in the invoice image 6 and a marginal areaaround the specific target.

In the example illustrated in FIG. 3, the extensive area 60 includesdestination information 61, addressee information 62, and a specificmarginal area around the destination information 61 and the addresseeinformation 62. The destination information 61 includes postcodeinformation 611 and address information 612, and the addresseeinformation 62 includes company name information 621 and department nameinformation 622, for example, each of which serves as a specific target.The extensive area 60 includes an output target.

The position of the output target in the invoice image 6 is set by thespecified line information 311 b. Specifically, in the exampleillustrated in FIG. 3, for example, when a company name is the outputtarget, “Fourth line” may be set as the specified line information 311b. For example, when an address is the output target, “First line tothird line” that describe the address may be set as the specified lineinformation 311 b.

Configuration of Controller 2

The receiving unit 20, the zone setting unit 21, the OCR unit 22, andthe extraction unit 23 that are included in the controller 2 will bedescribed. The receiving unit 20 receives an operation performed by anoperator on the operation display 4. The receiving unit 20 also receivesa read image formed by the image reading unit 5 by reading the readingtarget.

The zone setting unit 21 sets the zone designation information 311 inaccordance with the operation by the operator received by the receivingunit 20. Specifically, the zone setting unit 21 sets the area specifyinginformation 311 a for an extensive area and the specified lineinformation 311 b in accordance with the operation by the operator. Thezone setting unit 21 also records the set zone designation information311 as the zone designation data 310 in the zone-designation-datastorage 31 of the memory 3.

Note that the zone setting unit 21 may set the zone designationinformation 311 for each reading target. In addition, multiple pieces ofzone designation information 311 may be set for one reading target.

The OCR unit 22 performs an OCR process on the read image received bythe receiving unit 20 and thereby acquires an OCR result. The OCR resultincludes, for example, information regarding the content of a characteror a character string and information regarding the position of thecharacter or the character string. The OCR unit 22 also stores theacquired OCR result in the OCR-result storage 32 of the memory 3.

From the read image received by the receiving unit 20, the extractionunit 23 extracts the extensive area set by the zone setting unit 21 forthe reading target. Specifically, the extraction unit 23 acquires thezone designation information 311 in the zone designation data 310 storedin the zone-designation-data storage 31 of the memory 3 and acquires anOCR result corresponding to the extensive area from the OCR-resultstorage 32 of the memory 3 on the basis of the acquired zone designationinformation 311. The extraction unit 23 also acquires an OCR resultcorresponding to a specified line from the acquired OCR resultcorresponding to the extensive area and extracts, as an output target,the OCR result corresponding to the specified line.

A screen for setting zone designation information will be described withreference to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a view illustrating an example of thesetting screen for setting zone designation information. As illustratedin FIG. 4, a setting screen 7 includes a first partial screen 71 forsetting the area specifying information 311 a and a second partialscreen 72 for setting the specified line information 311 b.

The first partial screen 71 includes a first input field 710 forinputting the positions of the extensive area 60 in the read image, thatis, the position x from the left end and the position y from the upperend that are described above and a second input field 720 for inputtingthe width w and the height h of the extensive area 60. The secondpartial screen 72 includes a third input field 730 for inputtingdesignation of a line to be extracted, that is, information regardingthe line corresponding to the location of the output target in theextensive area 60 set by using the first partial screen 71.

The information input by the operator on the setting screen 7 is storedin the zone-designation-data storage 31 of the memory 3.

Note that how to set the extensive area 60 and set the position of theoutput target in the extensive area 60 is not limited to the method forinputting coordinate values on the setting screen 7 illustrated in FIG.4. For example, the extensive area 60 and the position of the outputtarget in the extensive area 60 may be set through an operationperformed on the screen (hereinafter, also referred to as a “userinterface (UI) screen”) including the read image displayed on theoperation display 4.

The operation performed on the UI screen includes, for example, anoperation for selecting specific points of the extensive area 60 (forexample, two points of the extensive area 60, that is, the coordinatesof the upper left vertex and the coordinates of the lower right vertex)by touching the operation display 4 with a finger (hereinafter, alsoreferred to as a “touch”), an operation for designating the frame of theextensive area 60 by sliding a finger on the operation display 4, and anoperation for performing a touch on a line indicating the output target(multiple lines, if any).

Operations of Exemplary Embodiment

An example of operations of the information processing apparatus 1according to the exemplary embodiment of the disclosure will bedescribed with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. FIG. 5 is a flowchartillustrating an example of operations of a process for setting zonedesignation information (hereinafter, also referred to as a “zonesetting process”). FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example ofoperations in a process for extracting an output target (hereinafter,also referred to as an “extraction process”) for the informationprocessing apparatus according to this exemplary embodiment. Note thatthe setting of the zone designation information illustrated in FIG. 5 isperformed on a read image (first read image) serving as a sample asdescribed above. The extraction process illustrated in FIG. 6 isexecuted on multiple read images in the same format as that of the firstread image. Each read image in the same format as that of the first readimage is an example of a second read image.

(1) Zone Setting Process

If an operation for setting the zone designation information 311performed by the operator on the operation display 4 is to be continued(S1: Yes), the zone setting unit 21 sets an extensive area in accordancewith the operation (S2).

If the set extensive area includes multiple lines, that is, if thespecified line information 311 b for an output target needs to be set(S3: Yes), the zone setting unit 21 sets the specified line information311 b in accordance with an operation by the operator (S4).

If another operation for setting the zone designation information 311 isto be continued, that is, if the operation for setting a zone performedby the operator is to be continued (S5: Yes), step S2 and followingsteps are performed. The phrase “if an operation for setting the zonedesignation information 311 is to be continued” applies to, for example,a case where multiple zones are to be set in one reading target.

(2) Extraction Process

The image reading unit 5 reads a reading target fed by the auto documentfeeder (S11), forms a read image according to the reading target, andtransmits the read image to the controller 2. The receiving unit 20receives the read image.

The OCR unit 22 executes the OCR process on the entire read imagereceived by the receiving unit 20 (S12) and acquires an OCR result. TheOCR unit 22 stores the OCR result in the OCR-result storage 32 of thememory 3.

The extraction unit 23 acquires the zone designation information 311 inthe zone designation data 310 stored in the zone-designation-datastorage 31 of the memory 3 (S13). The extraction unit 23 acquires an OCRresult corresponding to the extensive area on the basis of the zonedesignation information 311 (S14). That is, the extraction unit 23extracts the extensive area.

The extraction unit 23 acquires an OCR result corresponding to thespecified line from the acquired OCR result corresponding to theextensive area (S15) and extracts the OCR result as an output target.

Note that multiple zones (for example, N zones) are set in one readingtarget, and steps S14 and S15 described above are performed for eachzone.

When multiple (for example, 100 or more) documents are read in series,and, for example, even though the reading position of the reading targetis displaced due to the performance of the auto document feeder, thearrangement in the reading target, or other factors, the configurationdescribed above enables the output target to be extracted without usingthe positional information indicating the position of the output targetin the read image.

Modification 1

In the above-described exemplary embodiment, the positional informationregarding the output target in the extensive area, specifically, thespecified line information 311 b indicating the line corresponding tothe location of the output target in the extensive area is used as theattribute information of the output target. However, the attributeinformation is not limited to this. For example, information, such as acommon character string that is common to the extensive area, indicatinga specific component identifying an output target may be used as theattribute information of the output target.

The information regarding a specific component includes informationregarding, for example, common content of the output target, a commonattribute of the output target character, or a common number ofcharacters. The information indicating the content of the output targetincludes, for example, information regarding a character (hereinafter,also referred to as character information) and information regarding asymbol (hereinafter, also referred to as symbol information).

The character information includes information indicating a specifickeyword such as Japanese words “to”, “do”, “fu”, “ken” (prefecture),“shi” (city), “machi” (town), “mura” (village), “cho”, “ban”, and “go”for identifying an address that is an example of the content of anoutput target and “Incorporated” for identifying a company name that isan example of the content of the output target.

The symbol information includes information indicating a Japanesepostcode mark representing a postcode for identifying an address that isan example of the content of the output target, a symbol for Yen foridentifying an amount that is an example of the content of the outputtarget, a symbol for Inc. for identifying a company name that is anexample of the content of the output target, and other symbols.

The extraction unit 23 further extracts an output target from theextensive area 60 in accordance with the above-described informationindicating the content of the output target.

The method by which a line is specified by using the informationindicating a keyword or the symbol information is effective particularlywhen multiple lines are set as the specified lines. For example, in theexample illustrated in FIG. 3, suppose a case where the output target isan address, “First line to third line” is set as the specified lineinformation 311 b but the address is described in two lines. In thiscase, to find that the third line represents information different fromthe address, the information indicating a keyword or the symbolinformation may be used. Specifically, suppose a case where the thirdline includes the keyword “Corporation”. Even though “First line tothird line” is set in advance as an address as described above, it maybe determined that the third line is not the information indicating anaddress, and thus the third line may be excluded from the output target.Note that this process may be executed by the extraction unit 23.

The extraction unit 23 may also extract the output target on the basisof the attribute of a character or the number of characters. Forexample, when determining that a character is a numeral as the attributeof the character, the extraction unit 23 may extract informationindicating an amount or a postcode for the character. The extractionunit 23 may also specify the type of the output target on the basis ofthe number of characters.

Modification 2

FIG. 7 is a view illustrating an example of extending the extensive area60. With reference to FIG. 7, a document image 6A resulting from readinga document as a reading target will be described taken as an example. Ifan extensive area does not include a line corresponding to an outputtarget, the extraction unit 23 extends the extensive area in apredetermined direction and extracts a new extensive area.

Specifically, if the number of lines included in an extensive area 60Aextracted by the extraction unit 23 is smaller than the number of linesrelated to a specified line, the extraction unit 23 extracts a newextensive area 60B extended to include the specified line.

A case where “Third line” is set as the specified line information 311 bwill be described taken as an example. As illustrated in FIG. 7, whenthe number of lines included in the extensive area 60A extracted by theextraction unit 23 is smaller than 3, the new extensive area 60Bextended to include the third line that is the specified line isextracted (see the arrow in FIG. 7).

Although the exemplary embodiment according to the disclosure hasheretofore been described, the exemplary embodiment of the disclosure isnot limited to the exemplary embodiment described above. Variousmodifications and implementations may be made without departing from thespirit of the disclosure. For example, the configuration in which theinformation processing apparatus 1 includes the image reading unit 5 hasbeen described taken as an example in the exemplary embodiment. However,the image reading unit 5 does not have to be necessarily provided, andthe information processing apparatus 1 may receive and process a readimage read by an external apparatus.

For example, the OCR process is executed on the entire read image in theexemplary embodiment described above. However, the OCR process target isnot limited to this. The OCR process may be executed on only theextensive area extracted by the extraction unit 23. Although the examplein which the line is specified on the assumption that the reading targetis written from left to right has been described in the exemplaryembodiment, specifying a line in the reading target written from top tobottom is also included in the scope of the disclosure.

At least one or all of the components of the controller 2 may also beconfigured by a hardware circuit such as a field programmable gate array(FPGA) or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

Part of elements of the exemplary embodiment described above may beomitted or modified without departing from the spirit of the disclosure.In addition, without departing from the spirit of the disclosure, stepsmay be added, deleted, and modified in the flow of the processing in theexemplary embodiment, and the order of the steps may also be changed. Aprogram used in the exemplary embodiment may be provided in such amanner as to be recorded in a recording medium such as a compact diskread only memory (CD-ROM). The program may be stored in an externalserver such as a cloud server and may be used through a network.

The foregoing description of the exemplary embodiment of the presentdisclosure has been provided for the purposes of illustration anddescription. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit thedisclosure to the precise forms disclosed. Obviously, many modificationsand variations will be apparent to practitioners skilled in the art. Theembodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain theprinciples of the disclosure and its practical applications, therebyenabling others skilled in the art to understand the disclosure forvarious embodiments and with the various modifications as are suited tothe particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of thedisclosure be defined by the following claims and their equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. An information processing apparatus comprising: afirst designation unit that designates an extensive area from a firstread image, the extensive area including an output area and an objectarea; a second designation unit that designates the output area from thedesignated extensive area; a position acquisition unit that acquirespositional information regarding the extensive area with respect to thefirst read image and positional information regarding the output areawith respect to the extensive area; a memory that stores the positionalinformation regarding the extensive area and the positional informationregarding the output area; and an extraction unit that identifies aposition of the extensive area in a second read image in a formatidentical to a format of the first read image on a basis of thepositional information regarding the extensive area stored by the memoryand that extracts the output area in the second read image on a basis ofthe position of the extensive area and the positional informationregarding the output area stored by the memory.
 2. The informationprocessing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the extraction unitextracts the output area as the positional information regarding theoutput area on a basis of specified line information indicating a linecorresponding to a location of the output area in the extensive area. 3.The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein ifthe extensive area does not include the line corresponding to the outputarea, the extraction unit extends the extensive area in a predetermineddirection and extracts a new extensive area.
 4. The informationprocessing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein if the extensive areadoes not include the line corresponding to the output area, theextraction unit extends the extensive area in a predetermined directionand extracts a new extensive area.
 5. The information processingapparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second designation unitdesignates the output area as a line including a common characterstring.
 6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2,wherein the second designation unit designates the output area as a lineincluding a common character string.
 7. The information processingapparatus according to claim 3, wherein the second designation unitdesignates the output area as a line including a common characterstring.
 8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4,wherein the second designation unit designates the output area as a lineincluding a common character string.
 9. The information processingapparatus according to claim 5, wherein if the extensive area does notinclude the common character string corresponding to the output area,the extraction unit extends the extensive area in a predetermineddirection and extracts a new extensive area.
 10. The informationprocessing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein if the extensive areadoes not include the common character string corresponding to the outputarea, the extraction unit extends the extensive area in a predetermineddirection and extracts a new extensive area.
 11. The informationprocessing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein if the extensive areadoes not include the common character string corresponding to the outputarea, the extraction unit extends the extensive area in a predetermineddirection and extracts a new extensive area.
 12. The informationprocessing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein if the extensive areadoes not include the common character string corresponding to the outputarea, the extraction unit extends the extensive area in a predetermineddirection and extracts a new extensive area.
 13. A non-transitorycomputer readable medium storing a program causing a computer to executea process, the computer including a memory that stores positionalinformation regarding an extensive area and positional informationregarding an output area, the extensive area including the output areaand an object area, the process comprising: designating the extensivearea from a first read image; designating the output area from thedesignated extensive area; acquiring the positional informationregarding the extensive area with respect to the first read image andthe positional information regarding the output area with respect to theextensive area; and identifying a position of the extensive area in asecond read image in a format identical to a format of the first readimage on a basis of the positional information regarding the extensivearea stored by the memory and extracting the output area in the secondread image on a basis of the position of the extensive area and thepositional information regarding the output area stored by the memory.14. An information processing apparatus comprising: first designationmeans for designating an extensive area from a first read image, theextensive area including an output area and an object area; seconddesignation means for designating the output area from the designatedextensive area; position acquisition means for acquiring positionalinformation regarding the extensive area with respect to the first readimage and positional information regarding the output area with respectto the extensive area; memory means for storing the positionalinformation regarding the extensive area and the positional informationregarding the output area; and extraction means for identifying aposition of the extensive area in a second read image in a formatidentical to a format of the first read image on a basis of thepositional information regarding the extensive area stored by the memorymeans and for extracting the output area in the second read image on abasis of the position of the extensive area and the positionalinformation regarding the output area stored by the memory means.